Practices on personal protective equipment (PPE) and health risks among waste collectors: a study of association in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

In developing countries, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a concern. The crisis is predicted to be even more serious due to urbanization and population expansion that surpasses the capacity of current infrastructure. Apparently, MSW is the most common type of waste in Malaysia. As stated by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the MSW collection would reach 14 million metric tons per year by 2022. With the larger capacity of waste production, the role of waste collectors (WC) in solid waste management (SWM) has become increasingly crucial. Studies in Malaysia have shown that waste collectors are at risk for health hazards due to exposure to extreme heat and cold, vibrations, noise, and infectious contaminants. In relation to that, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is important for their safety, but studies on the association between PPE use and health risks among solid waste collectors are limited. The study was carried out at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as it is one of the 3 states with the largest population size. Thus, posed the problem of high waste generation. In accordance to that, this study looked into the relationship between waste collectors in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's practices regarding PPE and health risks. The study found that there are many potential health problems associated with solid waste collectors, including risks to physical health, psychological health, biological health, and ergonomic health. The most often used PPE included safety boots, long sleeves, and masks. Apparently, there is a correlation – p<0.050 (r=-0.176, p=0.021), between the practices of PPE and health risks among solid waste collectors. Therefore, further recommendations were directed for the respective solid waste collectors, waste management company, and future researchers.